Atmospheric gas burners such as are commonly employed in water heating apparatus such as, for example, water heaters produce combustion effluents including oxides of nitrogen (NO.sub.x) which are a particularly troublesome source of air pollution. NO.sub.x contributes to the formation of photochemical oxidants, commonly known as smog. Hydrocarbons react with NO.sub.x in the presence of sunlight to form these oxidants, which can have severe irritating effects on the eyes and respiratory systems of human beings. Because of this, emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO.sub.x) from many sources including water heaters are subject regulations in certain areas of the country such as, for example, the Los Angeles, Calif., area. Consequently, continuous efforts are being made to reduce the NO.sub.x emission from atmospheric gas burners such as ordinarily used in water heating apparatus such as ordinary water heating tanks.
Another problem which has been present with such atmospheric gas burners employed in such water heating apparatus has been the production of excessive noise during the operation of such gas burners, which sometimes nears the level of noise produced by a fog horn. The reduction of the noise level produced by such gas burners therefore has been a subject of further continuing effort by manufacturers of water heaters.